Document 0361
 DOCN  M9440361
 TI    Household epidemiology of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in an urban
       community in northeast Brazil [see comments]
 DT    9404
 AU    Newman RD; Zu SX; Wuhib T; Lima AA; Guerrant RL; Sears CL; Johns Hopkins
       University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
 SO    Ann Intern Med. 1994 Mar 15;120(6):500-5. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94144982
 CM    Comment in: Ann Intern Med 1994 Mar 15;120(6):518-9
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To examine the transmission of Cryptosporidium infection in
       households with an identified person with cryptosporidiosis. DESIGN:
       Prospective cohort study. SETTING: An urban slum in Fortaleza, Brazil.
       PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one households with a child less than 3 years of
       age (index case) who was positive for Cryptosporidium parvum using
       acid-fast and auramine-stained stool smears. MEASUREMENTS: Three stool
       samples (at 0, 2, and 6 weeks after identification of the index case)
       and two serum samples (0 and 6 weeks) were collected from each family
       member in households with an index case of Cryptosporidium infection.
       RESULTS: Forty-five percent of index cases of Cryptosporidium infection
       were associated with persistent (> 14 days) diarrhea. Secondary cases of
       Cryptosporidium infection were identified either by stool examination or
       seroconversion in 18 (58%) of 31 households involving 30 persons,
       yielding an overall transmission rate of 19%. Of the 202 persons in this
       study with at least one serum sample available for analysis, 191 (94.6%)
       had evidence of antibodies (either IgM or IgG) to Cryptosporidium.
       CONCLUSIONS: Cryptosporidium parvum is highly transmissible and
       infective in the family setting, with transmission rates similar to
       other highly infectious enteric pathogens such as Shigella species.
       These data are cause for added concern because of the rapidly increasing
       rate of seropositivity for human immunodeficiency virus.
 DE    Adolescence  Aged  Aged, 80 and over  Animal  Brazil  Child  Child,
       Preschool  Cryptosporidiosis/COMPLICATIONS/*TRANSMISSION
       *Cryptosporidium parvum/ISOLATION & PURIF  Diarrhea/PARASITOLOGY  Family
       Health  *Housing  Human  Infant  Prospective Studies  Support, Non-U.S.
       Gov't  Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.  *Urban Health  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).